Art Academy reading group: The Most Difficult Thing Ever, Kevin Boniface

For last night''s Art Academy reading group we turned our attention towards a type of text we hadn't looked at before: the blog. The Most Difficult Thing Ever, which is written by Huddersfield writer, artist and postman Kevin Boniface, was suggested by Art Academy member Jared, as he has seen Boniface read from his blog at events and once put on an exhibition of his work at Cow Lane Studios in Salford. Jared also has copies of Boniface's books, Lost in the Post and The Most Difficult Thing Ever (which is based on the blog).

Boniface uses things he has seen, heard and observed whilst delivering the mail to record snapshots of everyday life and ordinary people in West Yorkshire. In some ways akin to the work of photographers such as Martin Parr and Tom Wood, who present a particular version of England and its people (often Northern), his vignettes elevate the minutiae of life in Huddersfield momentarily to the status of art. Written in a conversational tone, sometimes this appears in a style similar to short stories and sometimes simply as lists of objects and experiences. We remarked how the writing style is non-judgemental of the people and places it references (though it is sometimes possible to read a wry humour just below the surface), and does not seem to belong in any particular genre – although Sara said the style reminded her of Christopher Isherwood. Many of the posts are also accompanied by single-shot, one-viewpoint videos which add visual imagery to Boniface's observations. We talked about how delivering the post enables Boniface to fit both work and artistic production into his life, and how the two could feed into each other, mentioning another postman who found his day job to be rich source material for his writing, Charles Bukowski, as a literary precedent.

We also discussed the unique relationship between members of the public and people performing services such as delivering the post, and the fact that for a few seconds of every day these semi-strangers become part of your private domain. Although you may feel that you get to know someone such as a postman on some level because of the routine of seeing them at the same time every day, in reality it is a relationship that exists almost entirely on the surface, with interaction essentially limited to 'hello' or 'thank you'. We each added examples from our own experiences such as having a paper round, doing building work and having plumbers in the house. Sometimes these relationships can be rewarding – being able to walk up driveways and garden paths normally off-limits, seeing glimpses into other people's houses and how they live, getting Christmas boxes from old people – and sometimes awkward – not knowing how to act around other people who are present in the house for a long period of time, in whose expertise one has placed one's trust to provide a service. We wondered whether the members of the public Boniface mentions and makes small observations about are aware that he draws on his post round as inspiration – perhaps from publicity relating to Boniface's stature as a writer (he won a Blog North award in 2012 ) – and said this would make us feel self-conscious!

Jared suggested that Boniface's artwork, which partly takes the form of collages based from lines from his blog, might benefit from being shown in a venue other than a gallery, perhaps in a more everyday environment. Suggestions put forward were a post office or sorting depot, or the SHED gallery on an allotment in Levenshulme. Sara remembered seeing an Artangel exhibition in a former sorting office in London a few years ago, and recalled the sense of suspense and surprise created by the space, however Natalie and Lisa, who had visited the 2012 Liverpool Biennial venue on Copperas Hill, a former Royal Mail depot, felt that the atmosphere and characteristics of the building, although now disused, overshadowed some of the work.

We discussed the possibility of asking Boniface to join us as a guest at one of our crits, and making links with artists and other creative groups in the West Yorkshire area.

Art Academy Crit: April

The most recent Art Academy crit took place on Friday 5th April.
Present were Natalie Bradbury, Maurice Carlin via Skype, Rachel Goodyear, Sara Nesteruk, Rachel Newsome, Lisa Risbec, Lauren Velvick, Jenny Walden, Jen Wu.
Four presentations were given by Lauren, myself, Rachel and Rachel.


1. Lauren Velvick

Lauren described a current project documenting paintings by a late uncle. She presented three of his painting and the blog of the project.

Lauren spoke about her uncle's schizophrenia, how it had affected his formal art training and his painting. She explained that the blog is not curated, and is an attempt to get the painting into a situation where they are seen. She described the collection of around 200 paintings on card and canvas, including some religious works and self portraits.

There was some discussion about Lauren's intentions for the works, how they might be exhibited and whether or not they would be sold. Lauren spoke about sorting the work into themes or a series, possible venues for exhibiting, and the possibility of raising money for a housing association that had helped her uncle. The Museum of Everything was suggested as a point of reference and interest.

2. Sara Nesteruk

I presented a proposal for a new animated film and showed a previous animated short The Accident.

I spoke about the subject matter for the new film, which will tell the story of the Ukrainian famines in the early 1930's. Research will be collected initially by collecting bread recipes from elderly Ukrainian people. I talked about my own interest and connection with the material, and the link with the previous film.

We discussed approaches to storytelling, including a reference to Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. The relationship between form and content was discussed, and the possibilities and significance of working with bread as a metaphor. Suggestions were given about accessing Ukrainian communities in northern Manchester, and a possible residency application was discussed.

3. Rachel Goodyear

Rachel presented a work in progress for a forthcoming solo show at the International 3 Gallery in Manchester. The work is a large scale drawing on paper in three sections.

Rachel spoke about the scale of the new work, which is much larger than usual, and the challenges and opportunities this was presenting. The discovery of a new process of working was described, using collages of smaller drawings. She described the themes of her work in general as an interest in the macabre, but also a celebration of life, a balance between the beautiful and the gory.

We talked about the themes behind Rachel's pieces, and work by Piero della Francesca was suggested as a possible reference. The new technique that Rachel is using reminded her of using sticker books in her childhood, and this idea resonated with the group. The subtleties of the process were discussed, and the possibilities it may provide for some performance based practice.

4. Rachel Newsome

Rachel read aloud a recent short story: The Holy of Holies.

Rachel described her works in general as stories that have an allegorical aspect, and talked of an interest in creating other worldly environments. She explained that the title was inspired by a Kafka quote, and she described the symbolism of the clothes in the story. The main character was described as an artist going on journey, searching for a truth.

The group talked about the pleasure of listening to stories being read aloud, and Rachel mentioned another project she is involved in called Don't Tell Stories. The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol was mentioned as a reference and suggested as a possible future text for a reading group. Some discussion was had around the meaning of colour in the story, and the use of clothes to construct or deconstruct identity.

Art Academy Reading Group: The Mother Archetype, Carl Jung

Following an Art Academy discussion on fairytales and myths and symbols, we collectively decided it may be of interest to read some writing by the twentieth century psychoanalyst Carl Jung, and a chapter on the Mother Archetype was put forward. On reading the text, it was apparent how embedded some of Jung’s ideas now are in popular culture, as well as critical and cultural theory.

Art Academy member Rachel Newsome had read a lot of writing by Jung before, and likes Jung as he was a paradoxical thinker who was really visionary. She explained that for Jung archetypes, of which the mother archetype is just one, are a representation of a collective unconscious. 

The mother archetype Jung describes is all encompassing, manifested in aspects of nature as well as concepts such as the mandala – although some of us were not familiar with the idea of the mother as an oven! – and has both positive and negative elements. Jung’s chapter on archetypes appears to approach the mother archetype in two parts: first, by describing some background to the mother archetype as found in myths and religions (Jung points out that the mother archetype is not necessarily your mother), and second by describing the uses of archetypes in psychoanalysis and what they can reveal about the patient, who projects them onto the psychiatrist. 

Whilst Jung uses ideas from religion and spirituality, as a psychoanalyst he approaches the idea of the archetype in a scientific way; Art Academy member Sara Nesturek suggested that whereas religion projects outwards, for analysts archetypes’ value is in their ability to reveal what is inside ourselves.

We also discussed other archetypes, for example the trickster: today, pranksterism is often used in social activism to make a serious point (see also the roots of carnival, when everything is turned upside down for a day to reveal truths about the social order). Rachel suggested that people have a bit of each archetype in them, but certain circumstances can knock them out of balance. She is a fashion tutor, and has used ideas about archetypes with her students. She previously taught journalism, and showed students how the media is all about archetypes (for example, it is easy to identify popular figures like the trickster and the virgin whore).We discussed whether, in fact, we can manipulate archetypes, and aspects of archetypes, to shape the way we project ourselves to others. It was suggested that only through Jungian analysis are we made aware of projecting these archetypes, which can be an empowering process.

We were also interested in Jung’s reference to the anima and animus: the idea that men possess a feminine aspect and women a masculine aspect. Rachel said that, as an author, the idea of the animus is a useful tool for thinking both about different sides of her characters and herself as an artist

We agreed that we would be interested in reading more writing by Jung in future, for example about dreams as well as other archetypes. It was suggested that Man and His Symbols could be a good starting point as it is accessible, and that there are some good three minute videos on Youtube by scholars of Jungian theory.

IMAA Reading Group 26.02.13: New Schools

Lauren Velvick, Sara Nesteruk, Maurice Carlin, Natalie Bradbury and Lisa Risbec

This essay was featured in Frieze and comprised of a series of interviews with 'new schools' across the world, including the Art Academy.

It was really interesting reading the text together and raised discussions around many aspects including; the naming of things, if you name something does that mean it's taken more seriously? Being radical for the sake of it versus being useful. The common factor of these schools - is it connections and community? Do you need to attend a physical space to experience that or does it happen online too? We also discussed participatory art, and the artists role/ motivation in it.

We didn't come to any firm conclusions but it's a topic that I would definitely like to pick up in the future, I find the all of the alternative schools interesting in their own way and think there are definitely elements we could incorporate into the Art Academy.

Art Academy Open Crit 15.03.13

The most recent Art Academy crit group was a long session, enabling presentations to be made of two ongoing projects being undertaken by Art Academy members, Natalie Bradbury and Jen Wu, and allowing for in-depth discussion of these projects. Natalie Bradbury explains:

Natalie Bradbury: 'Woman's Outlook: A surprisingly modern magazine?' 

Whilst I am not an artist and therefore don't have a practice as such, I thought that the Art Academy open crit might be a good time to practice a talk I have been working on called 'Woman's Outlook: A surprisingly modern magazine?', which I am going to be doing at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum next Thursday evening (21 March). I really needed a run-through as I have never spoken in public before.

I started by explaining that the magazine Woman's Outlook was published by the Co-operative Press between 1919 and 1967 along with a number of other specialist magazines aimed at the co-operative movement. I explained that my interest in magazines is partly linked to publishing my own zine, the Shrieking Violet, as well as my love of twentieth century history and interest in Manchester's historical reputation as the 'Fleet Street of the North' (Woman's Outlook was based first in Manchester city centre, then in Old Trafford). I spent several days reading through volumes of Woman's Outlook in the National Co-operative Archive in Manchester and found it really hard to focus my findings down because of the amount of interesting information I found! However, I decided to discuss the ways in which I thought Woman's Outlook was modern as a magazine – firstly, because I think that much of the content, such as recipes, fashion, fiction and articles about issues affecting women, isn't that different to the subjects covered in women's magazines today; second, because many of the challenges facing society today, such as unemployment, lack of affordable housing and challenges to women's reproductive rights, are worryingly similar to those experienced in the early-to-mid-twentieth century; and finally because the magazine's political and editorial stance appeared to be ahead of its time on a number of issues such as abortion, family planning and divorce.

I had initially tried to make a powerpoint to present my talk, but really struggled so decided to go back to what I knew and present the history of Woman's Outlook and some of the key themes which emerged in the form of a magazine. I then showed some examples of pages from the only modern-day women's magazine I read, Stylist, to show what sorts of topics are thought to be important to women today. Each person who was present at the crit was given a copy of my magazine about Woman's Outlook, and I also projected the pages of the magazine digitally via PDF hosting site Issuu, which allowed me to flick through the pages as I talked.

Whilst the audience was quite different to the one I am expecting at my talk – who I am anticipating will have more of a specialist interest/prior knowledge of the co-operative movement and its history – the crit was a really good opportunity to practice public speaking, and gain feedback on how I presented my ideas. People who heard the talk seemed to be really interested in the history of the magazine, and some of the themes I highlighted such as the shift towards a consumer society in the 1950s, higher living standards and the move towards individualism also prompted some good questions about things such as advertising and a really interesting discussion about the role of male/female-targeted magazines today. Of particular interest was the way in which the co-operative women's movement was a means of self-education; something that as members of the Art Academy we are all interested in! We discussed the lack of emphasis today on skills such as public speaking, which the co-operative women's movement aimed to instill in its members.

One pertinent suggestion was that the type of feminist viewpoint espoused by Woman's Outlook is now seen more on blogs such as Jezebel and the F-Word than in printed magazines; unlike magazines, most blogs are not dependent on advertising to remain in print and therefore do not have to avoid being too controversial. Importantly, we discussed the extent to which Woman's Outlook and present-day magazines such as Stylist are really comparable – although some of the content may appear similar on the surface, there are key differences. Woman's Outlook was a mouthpiece for politics and campaigning, whereas Stylist's occasional investigative and issues-based content mask the fact it is really just one big advert for consumer lifestyles. Additionally, Woman's Outlook was paid-for and had a very defined audience, whereas Stylist is handed out free. I also took on board some comments such as showing bigger versions of pictures of pages/covers from Woman's Outlook.

Jen Wu: 'The Wall' 

We then returned to more of an art-based discussion, as Manchester-based artist Jen Wu presented and projected images of her ongoing project 'The Wall'. Jen has been awarded money from the Chinese Arts Centre and Henry Moore Foundation and is currently in the process of applying for Arts Council funding to realise the project, which aims to stabilise a brick wall on the derelict Old Bank Theatre on Chapel Street, Salford which is due to be knocked down along with a number of other buildings as part of the ongoing regeneration of the area. It is hoped that one redbrick wall will be retained, then bricklayers and members of the local community will be invited to help dismantle it and rebuild it elsewhere in the vicinity in an act of 'creative DIY', accompanied by celebratory 'rave' parties (this references Jen's past projects, which have involved working with musicians and DJs). The wall will function as a public sculpture, but could also be the first wall of something longer-lasting, for example a new facility like a community centre. The focus of the project is not just on demolition, but action and rebuilding, a cycle of activity that will show how people can physically change their area and celebrate the past at the same time as looking to the future.

Jen, who arrived in Manchester in 2011 to undertake a residency at the Chinese Art Centre, described the evolution of her practice, from getting into sculpture during her undergraduate degree in the United States to moving to the United Kingdom to do a Masters, starting temporarycontemporary, a successful artist-led space in Deptford, south London and then transforming the visitor experience of some of London's established art institutions such as the ICA and Royal Academy by, for example, turning the ICA into a nightclub. Jen traced key events in her development as an artist, including going to China on residency and becoming interested in the way industry had been transported to China, as well as influences such as music and American land art.

When she came to Manchester, Jen started researching the history of former Manchester landmarks, now demolished, such as the Hacienda nightclub (now rebuilt as apartments) and the notorious Hulme Crescents, once the venue for famous parties, becoming interested in narratives of regeneration, demolition and starting over again. She started to document the demolition of buildings, a process she describes as 'looking like warfare', and became interested in the way sites acquired value when solid matter such as buildings had disappeared. One such building was the former Salvation Army centre Stella Maris near Islington Mill in Salford, where Jen got to know the demolition crew and the security guard, who let her take bricks from the demolition of the building. This led to Jen taking numerous buses around Salford to look at various walls, and realising how much of Salford is made of brick.

Jen explained that she is interested in the ways in which spaces where people used to come together, such as nightclubs, have been destroyed, and thought that moving a wall would be a way to bring people together at the same time as acknowledging the DIY spirit operating in places such as Islington Mill. She explained that the project is constantly shifting, and sometimes seems impossible, but she doesn't think it could take place anywhere else. The Chapel Street buildings are due to be demolished soon, but Jen hopes that the project can coincide with Manchester International Festival in July, when events will also be taking place at the Mill. Jen's past career was an important part of the way in which the project was presented to the group, and we discussed how Jen should bring this development of her practice out in her application for funding. We also noted that there are a diverse range of people living and working in the area around Chapel Street, from council residents to tenants of new flats and artists working at the Mill.

I.M.A.A Reading Group 12.02.13: Theodor Adorno - Punctuation Marks

Adorno's Punctuation Marks was written in 1953, and playfully discusses the nature of punctuation in written language, with references to ancient usage and the personification of certain marks. I had come across this essay whilst conducting research into the work of Rosa Barba, an artist who is interested in gaps and breaks, and suggested it for the reading group. I thought it would be interesting to discuss a piece of writing about writing, and also to read writing about writing, then, with this particular reading group being punctuated by pancakes and late arrivals, we had some compelling, fun and anecdote-driven discussions.

Present: Lauren Velvick, Marcelle Holt, Natalie Bradbury, Maurice Carlin, Sara Nesteruk and Hannah Leighton Boyce.

The essay itself is much jollier, and more flowery than many of us expected from Adorno, poetically expressing the often subtle, yet indispensible function of punctuation for the written word. Initially, it seemed like it was the writers in the group who had enjoyed this essay the most, perhaps finding a cameraderie in this indulgently in-depth analysis of, and story about these marks, which can make all the difference to a piece of writing regardless of it's content.

By having had our attention focussed on punctuation in general, the discussion turned to the most common ways in which we write in our every-day lives. Leading to questions about how punctuation is used in social media such as twitter, and other short communications. Marcelle, who had performed research into twitter, in terms of the performance of identity for her undergraduate dissertation, recognised how some users are better at tweeting than others. What, we wondered, made a good tweeter, and would they also be considered to be a good writer, by dint of their twitter skills?

It was noted how within text messages, when they first became a ubiquitous form of communication, punctuation was famously abandoned in favour of a form of written language in which many, if not most words were shortened, for essentially practical reasons. Text messages are also private, which can be seen to remove the performative element associated with twitter, however, anecdotal evidence suggests that with certain of our peers, there would be a performative element to text messages, whereby they would function as banter, or a form of 'jamming'. Good writing, it seems, is appreciated no matter its form, and a perceptive use of punctuation is an integral part of this.

Adorno refers to punctuation marks as "friendly spirits whose bodiless presence nourishes the body of language" linking their use in written language, to how written music is punctuated to indicate the length of notes and breaks. Indeed, how punctuation is used by a writer alters the pace and flow of a text, and Adorno's analysis here is quite beautiful. His characterisation of individual punctuation marks also belies a sort-of wistful affection for these abstract and dispensable - as we have seen in the case of text messages - marks, which may be overlooked for their importance in enriching a piece of writing with mood and subtle meanings.

"An exclamation point looks like an index finger raised in warning; a question mark looks like a flashing light or the blink of an eye. A colon, says Karl Krais, opens its mouth wide: woe to the writer who does not fill it with something nourishing. Visually, the semicolon looks like a drooping moustache; I am even more aware of its gamey taste. With self-satisfied peasant cunning, German quotation marks (« ») lick their lips."(p. 1)

"a drooping moustache"

The text is not an objective analysis of punctuation by any means, and according to Adorno's own interpretation, nor could it be, for the understanding and use of punctuation is as personal as the appreciation of music. In line with this, the majority of our discussion centered around how we experience written language, especially as there has been an explosion in new ways to communicate via the written word since this essay was written. We observed how on-line, punctuation is vital in conveying the complexities of what is being said, and usages have evolved in innovative and specific ways in different communities. This is befitting of the opinionated way in which Adorno discusses punctuation, and whilst he occasionally refers to changes in usage negatively, as a whole the text seems to be a piece describing Adorno's own experience of punctuation, rather than a treatise on correct usage.

Adorno's Punctuation Marks is available for free on Ubuweb

Art Academy reading group: Art and uneven development's cause is one: reflections on art and 'regeneration', Susan Fitzpatrick

The first Art Academy reading group of 2013 focused on a text by Susan Fitzpatrick entitled Art and uneven development's cause is one: reflections on art and 'regeneration'. The essay was originally published as part of a pamphlet which accompanied Hoist by Our Own Petard, an exhibition held at Islington Mill in late-2012 which brought together artworks by people who might not necessarily consider themselves artists – often creating work from home, and in their spare time, as opposed to in a dedicated studio space or as a way of making a living. The exhibition questioned the nature of art and the value of creativity, and the accompanying booklet primarily comprised each participating artist's responses to a questionnaire on their attitude towards making art. Fitzpatrick, whose work appeared in the exhibition in the form of elaborate knitted hats, chose to expand on certain themes explored in the exhibition by contributing a longer piece of writing which drew on her doctoral thesis on community art.

As not all members of the art academy were able to attend Hoist by Our Own Petard, or obtain the exhibition booklet, reading Fitzpatrick's text (slightly expanded for the purposes of the reading group) enabled us to get a sense of the exhibition as well as have a wider discussion around our understanding of how art and culture are related to issues such as economic value and place-making.

The essay quoted a Liverpool City Council bureaucrat’s definition of 'culture' as being something we do when we are not at work, and we discussed the way in which leisure time is becoming increasingly commercialised (for example, private shopping development Liverpool One is seen as a destination for a 'day out'). Similarly creativity is often packaged as being part a 'lifestyle' we can aspire to. Fitzpatrick suggested that art is seen by its advocates as being intrinsically good (this has a historical grounding in the nineteenth century critic John Ruskin's notion of art as a 'sacred fisher who gathers souls of men out of the deep'). From this perspective, art has the power to improve people's lives, but it also works the other way by enhancing their contribution to society; today, creativity is valued insofar as it makes a positive contribution to the economy, whether by developing people's transferable skills, directly generating money through entrepreneurship or attracting tourism and investment to an area. Whilst artists themselves often have mixed views on regeneration, Maurice Carlin, a director of Islington Mill, said that from his experience regeneration agencies and the council were supportive of the Mill's activities – or at least the artists' studios, which are home to small creative businesses. He suggested that artists are attractive to regenerators, as they can make something out of nothing – often very quickly – and, unlike bureaucrats, they will think about the impossible.

Islington Mill is an interesting venue for a discussion on regeneration, due to its proximity to the Chapel Street regeneration area of Salford, an inner-city area which was once home to a thriving high street but is now characterised by a mix of empty, derelict buildings and new build flats. The wider area of Salford has seen a lot of investment in cultural venues such as the Lowry Centre, a big flagship venue for the city which cost millions of pounds. What is missing from much discussion about regeneration, however, is what people want. We wondered how many places in the UK beyond a few, high-profile success stories have truly benefited from arts-led regeneration, and what could have been achieved for the Salford's creative industries if, instead of spending a large sum on creating a cultural centre from scratch, the funding available had been spread across smaller projects throughout the city, supporting organic growth of the city's art scene. Fitzpatrick quotes studies which suggest many residents struggle to be part of defining the places in which they live and work, and we discussed to what extent we, as members of the public, feel we 'own' these flagship arts buildings, ostensibly built for our benefit. Comparisons were drawn with their antecedents, such as town and city galleries built by philanthropists in the Victorian age and municipal buildings built by modernist planners in the twentieth century, both of which had an element of controlling or 'civilising' the populace, aiming in some way to 'improve' citizens and their moral outlook.

We also discussed one of the high-profile local 'failures' of cultural regeneration: Urbis in Manchester  city centre which opened in 2002 at the centre of a new, so-called Millennium Quarter (a city brand which has not made its way into popular vocabulary), but closed just eight years later after failing to attract the expected number of visitors. As Fitzpatrick notes, from a perspective of regeneration creativity is expected to be easily definable and have visible, measurable outcomes, yet experimentation and failure, without always having to get it right the first time, is an important part of the process of being creative. Perhaps Urbis was never allowed to get into its stride and its value would have become apparent over the longer term.

With this in mind, we asked why art and culture is so often seized upon by those looking to regenerate and reinvent places, regardless of whether there is a demand or infrastructure in place to support it, and wondered what the alternative is for creating jobs and economic growth. Having gone from an agricultural society to an industrial economy to a service economy in the course of a few generations, it is not clear what type of production is going to drive our economy in the future, and there is a lack of long-term vision regarding the arts due to the whims of changing political regimes. However, if we want to enable to next generation of artists and creators to thrive, we must ensure there is an infrastructure in place to support emerging creative production that includes independent spaces, not just easily marketable large-scale projects. There is a danger of art being seen as a subject suitable only for the rich, or an activity which is understood and approved of as long as it makes money. Rather than imposing a certain, strategically-approved type of culture from above, we must ensure that creative subjects continue to be taught and valued at the level of schools and universities, and that art is not allowed to become a 'luxury' or something to be indulged in only during our leisure time. 

Art Academy Open Crit 14.12.12

At our final Open Crit of the year we were joined by Rachel Goodyear; an artist and studio holder at Islington Mill, Paulette Terry Brian; director of International 3, Lorna Mollart; an artist who works in Hebden Bridge, and Jen Wu; an Artist and Curator based in Manchester.

Rachel Goodyear presented experiments into new ways of displaying small drawings. 

In the photograph below Rachel talks about a piece which she has installed for the first time here; a spindly, many-limbed branch protruding from the wall, with several small drawings skewered at particular, meaningful points.

We discussed what was unexpected about the piece as a physical object, as opposed to existing in the Artists' plans and imagination. The coincidental circumstance of light emanating from several points in the room created a 'shadow drawing', mirroring the three dimensional form of the branch in flat grey on the wall.

Maurice Carlin presented further developments of his practice involving hung paper and plaster casting with fabric moulds.

The sculpture in the forefront of the photograph below produced visceral reactions; a mysteriously textured and surprisingly fuzzy object, restrained on it's board with tape and string. Our reactions to this piece; confusion, disgust, laughter, and storytelling, engendered discussions around ways of looking, particularly how to look without trying too hard to understand and archive.

Lisa Risbec presented her research into the stubborn growth of wild flowers and plants in urban environments.  

A collection of research consisting of pressed specimines and photographs, documented the wild plants which flourish on inner city wastelands. Lisa's discussion of her practice inspired an exchange of research methods, with agreement on the importance of physically 'trying things out', if only to avoid drowning in un-tested ideas.
      
Jen Wu also took us on an unexpected field trip to talk about a piece of public art work that she is planning, involving the preservation of a particular wall on Chapel Street against imminent demolition and regeneration.

Art Academy Reading Group: Composition as Explanation, Gertrude Stein

Present: Natalie Bradbury, Lauren Velvick and Maurice Carlin

Gertrude Stein's Composition as Explanation was, like our last reading, originally delivered as a lecture, this time to Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the summer of 1926. Natalie suggested this piece as she had previously read it on Maurice's recommendation, and had found it understandably challenging, so was eager for the opportunity to discuss it in more depth.

In this text Stein outlines her ideas regarding art, modernism and war, and actively demonstrates what she describes with an experimental "continuous present" writing style. Using style in order to convey meaning, as Stein does here, is hard to approach as a reader unless you are expecting it, however, we all agreed that once we had become familiar enough with the style to follow the text it became enjoyable and poetic, rather than unpleasant and jarring as it had seemed at first. Stein begins by defining 'composition', in her conception, as how we live differently over time, in an empirical realm which remains essentially the same. She repeatedly explains 'composition' in various ways, slipping in points about human perception which ring with truth, and the cumulative effect is of broad understanding, as though this is what the word composition has always meant, which serves as a backdrop for Stein's other points about how society functions aesthetically.

Maurice suggested that there are three interlocking issues to consider in this text; Firstly, as mentioned above, the concept of 'composition'. According to Stein, composition has to do with 'what is seen' (which I take to mean 'what is experienced empirically') and time. She seems to be referring to the particular reality of a given time, or era, which is simultaneously experienced and made by everybody who lives in that era; "they are composing of the composition that at the time they are living in the composition of the time in which they are living". Outside of this experience and making, however, everything is the same; "Each period of living differs from any other period of living not in the way life is but in the way life is conducted". Stein refers to a tyranny of no-one, whereby everybody knows and agrees to certain things without knowing or ever having agreed to them.

Secondly, early on in the text Stein refers to the way in which artists have tended not to be lauded until after their death, and of how the beauty in art which is Avant Garde for its' age often goes unrecognised until it is too late; "Of course it is beautiful but first all beauty in it is denied and then all the beauty of it is accepted. If every one were not so indolent they would realise that beauty is beauty even when it is irritating and stimulating not only when it is accepted and classic". With a basis in her concept of composition, Stein then goes on to state that "No one is ahead of his time", indicating that context is of paramount importance in cultural production, and if artists are only recognised posthumously, it is a symptom of a stagnant society.

Finally there is Stein's observation that when a society is at war it is forced to become contemporary with itself, and perhaps war is the only time when this is possible; "it is quite certain that nations not actively threatened are at least several generations behind themselves militarily so aesthetically they are more than several generations behind themselves". For a trio of readers who have only known relative peace, the idea that war could be viewed as positive progress was bizarre. We wondered whether now we have succeeded in become contemporary with ourselves? After all, artists often become famous before they are dead now, and 'shocking' contemporary art is welcomed into institutions - or are we just able to define and categorise everything more quickly?

Reading this text also raised an issue which we have been returning to again and again in recent Art Academy activities - the idea of appreciating a piece of artwork without trying to 'get' it. In this case the text became much more enjoyable, and fruitful once we had stopped trying to decipher it in terms of a traditionally written essay. This is something that we discuss in more depth at the next open Crit.

Art Academy reading group: Politics of Installation, Boris Groys

The most recent Art Academy reading group looked at Boris Groys' text Politics of Installation, as viewed at e-flux. Originally delivered as a lecture at Whitechapel Gallery in 2008, it was a text Rosanne had been recommended before, but never fully digested. The reading group was attended by Lauren Velvick, whose practice is focused on writing and curating, writer, artist and creative practitioner Rosanne Robertson who draws upon performance, installation, sound and video, and writer Natalie Bradbury. Each of us brought different viewpoints and experiences to our reading of the text, and all had encountered some difficulty engaging with certain themes and ideas.

Central to Politics of Installation are notions of freedom and agency and how these are manifested both in society, by individual artists and in art exhibitions/institutions. Groys' argument is that the installation is a place of 'unconcealment', which reveals hidden realities about sovereign power which is concealed behind the democratic order.

Groys starts by talking about the dominance of the art market and 'art as commodity', and early on in the text refers to the art system's absorption by mass culture. We discussed where we see ourselves as individuals, artists and curators fitting in this 'mass culture' personally. We each shared our own understandings of the 'art world' and 'art market', and how they work, and how they differ from Groys' representation, which is very focused on the institution, and major museums/galleries, as opposed to bottom-up, artist-led activity. We also discussed the function of the museum/gallery; curiously, Groys sees it as an extension of public space, mediated by the curator as a 'representative of the public'. He appears to conflate the curator with the institution and, in one of the more challenging parts of the text, suggests that the word 'curator' represents a person who 'cures' the 'powerlessness' of individual artworks, which some of us felt was somewhat pessimistic in its assessment of the power of images and art. 

Groys identifies 'communities' of museum/gallery-goers. The installation is a place, he argues, in which the audience 'exhibit themselves to themselves', and he goes on to say that in the contemporary art space the 'multitudes can view themselves and celebrate'. We thought he was suggesting that museum-goers see themselves reflected in the content of the museum, and considered whether visiting museums and galleries could be seen to reinforce the status of the members of these communities as belonging to an elite cultural class (here, we referred to the ideas of Pierre Bourdieu such as social and cultural capital). Groys suggests that the exhibition viewer is on their 'territory' when visiting a gallery, implying that they are empowered, and this led us to talk about what 'type of person' attends museums/galleries and who is 'at home' visiting exhibitions. 

Politics of Installation also discusses the different ways objects/paintings are experienced as opposed to installations, which can be seen as a 'privatization' of public space (the gallery in this instance). By allowing visitors into the private space of an installation, suggests Groys, the artist is opening up and democratising that space. He also touches on individual versus collective experience, and the community of viewers created by an installation, which led us to question whether an installation necessitates collective experience. However, we thought it was odd that performative art was not mentioned as a separate, third type of art experience separate from both object/painting art and installation art. 

We also touched on the authenticity of artworks, and what it means for an artwork to be copied and reproduced, and the particular implications of this for installations.

We found that the reading group was an effective way of getting to grips with the text that had some similarity with the university seminar experience but felt less formal and more open and honest, giving us the freedom to share parts of the text we were unsure about as opposed to feeling like we needed to appear as if we already had all the answers. The reading group enabled us to question statements/viewpoints expressed by Groys, and the audience, purpose and usefulness of the text.

Open Crit with John Wallbank

Open crits were restarted again today at Islington Mill. We were joined by John Wallbank who has been artist in residence at the mill over the past month. John talked about the work he had produced over the course of the residency.

Rosanne Robertson presented a new video work, 'Selected Sound: Painting by Eye, Music by Ear' plus a 'sketch' for another film work.

Lauren Velvick presented her research and ideas for an upcoming exhibition and series of events she is co-organising entitled 'Hoist by their own Petard' which forms part of the Free for Arts festival.

'New Schools', Frieze magazine.

Islington Mill Art Academy were recently asked to give an interview as part of a survey of recently founded artist-run art academies with contributions from other education programmes such as The Silent University, The School of Global Art, The External Program, MASS Alexandria and SOMA.

Issue 149, September 2012

Academy members Maurice Carlin and Lauren Velvick spoke with Frieze Magazine's Sam Thorne about funding, failure, education and locality among other things for a survey contextualised by the opening line...

..."What would an art school fit for the 21st century look like?"

Read here

Corridor 8 Interview

Maurice Carlin, from Islington Mill Art Academy is interviewed by Grace Harrison in the current edition of Corridor 8 magazine. This year Corridor8, the annual international journal dedicated to showcasing the best of contemporary art and writing in the North of England, has been split into four parts, each focusing on a particular location and facet of the visual art ecology. The new edition aims a spotlight on art education.

Artist talk - David Medalla

This Thursday 29th, artist David Medalla will be giving a talk entitled 'Calling Kurt Schwitters! Calling Kurt Schwitters!' at Islington Mill in the gallery space at 6pm. All welcome.

David Medalla makes work which has frequently defied categorisation. It has ranged anywhere from sculpture and kinetic art to painting, installation and performance with all the spaces and overlaps between these forms remaining fresh, spontaneous, shifting and playful. Davids work is currently on show as part of 'Migrations' at Tate Britain (till 12th Aug.) 

We look forward to welcoming David back to the Mill! 

Please pass on the invitation to your networks and anyone you think would be interested in David's work. 

http://www.iniva.org/dare/themes/space/medalla.html

 

http://www.frieze.com/issue/review/david_medalla/

Open Crit with Flux Factory artists

We were joined at the open crit yesterday by artists Alison Ward and Shane Heinemier from Flux Factory arts space in New York. Alison and Shane have been taking part in an exchange residency set up by Islington Mill and local artist Tom Watson. Tom is in New York at the moment working at Flux Factory while Shane and Alison have been in residence here at the mill. Flux Factory began in 1994 as an informal collective with a mission to provide an alternative to the commercial art landscape in NY at the time. Today, it occupies a 3 story former card factory in Queens and provides studios for up to 30 artists of which approx. 16 are artists in residence from around the world.

Next Critque 29th July

The next Islington Mill Open Critique is on the 29th July. David Osbaldeston is joining us for this critique.

The critique on June 23rd went well. We were glad to welcome Vanilla Collective from Loughborough at the last minute. They're doing a tour of art collectives and stopped off at Islington Mill. Thanks to Natalie Bradbury of Shrieking Violets zine, and Sharon Walsh for coming along.

Upcoming Open Crits at Islington Mill

I think most of us would agree that last weeks open critique at Islington Mill was incredibly helpful in terms of pushing forward each of our individual practices. Buoyed up by that, we have organised the next 3 critiques over the Summer months, to which you are all invited!

We're looking forward to welcoming along some invited guest artists to these also. On July 29th, we'll be joined by artist David Osbaldeston who is currently a resident on the prestigious Firestation Artist Studios 5 year residency programme. Artist Leo Fitzmaurice will be our guest artist at our open crit on August 26th. Leo has an upcoming show in Manchester at Cube Gallery

Dates for next Open Critiques at Islington Mill:

Thur June 23rd - Midday - Islington Mill

Fri July 29th - Midday - Islington Mill

Fri Aug 26th - Midday - Islington Mill

Art Academy's Ben Davies performing at Text Festival

Ben Davies will be debuting a new performance collage work tomorrow, Sat 30th April at the launch of the Text Festival Ben will be up at the Transport Museum in Bury from 11am till 4pm. The show at the Transport Museum is curated by Philip Davenport and also includes works by Alec Finlay and Bob Cobbing. Get along if you can, the line up for the festival sounds amazing and includes an appearance by US L=A=N=G=U=A=G= E poet Ron Silliman and the first UK performance from Canadian virtuoso poet Christian Bok.

Art Academy feature in A-N magazine..

We are featured in a new report in A-N magazine on alternative art schools. You can read it here: http://www.a-n.co.uk/publications/topic/1145371

Talk at Islington Mill: The Free University of Liverpool

This Thursday at Islington Mill as part of our regular Say Something Series:

Lorena Rivero de Beer will talk about The Free University of Liverpool, a protest against the current situation in HE and a laboratory to explore new models of transmitting knowledge. She will discuss how it came about, the paradoxical space where it stands and the challenges they confront. Please come along if you would like to join the protest, create a Free University where you live or enroll in The Free University of Liverpool Foundation Degree that will start October 2011.

A performance artist, writer and producer Lorena Rivero de Beer recently completed a Phd exploring the relationship between cultural politics, representation, aesthetics and subjectivity. Collaborating with The Institute for the Art and Practice of Dissent at Home (Lena Simic and Gary Anderson) Lorena has initiated The Free University of Liverpool. Billed as a protest against the recent tuition fee increases and cuts to university budgets The Free University of Liverpool states it has been developed to provide FREE education for any student who is keen to study. Believing that critical thought and action are at the heart of changing the world we live in, The Free University aims to teach about and practice cultural activism.